This January we have the most depressing day of the year to look forward to. The complex formula takes into account things like debt and weather and failure of new year’s resolutions and the mental health wizards have calculated that this year’s D-Day is 24th January.

This year we might also add into the calculations the huge (‘swingeing’ as we’re learning to call them) cuts to well, pretty much everything and the rise in VAT. We can’t even drown our sorrow on drink cos that’s gone up too.

For those of us being made redundant we also have the worry of how we’re going to afford life without our jobs.

I need something to look forward to. I get the same amount of holiday leave as anyone else at the council but because of working in education, I am not allowed to take term time holidays.

My contract ends on Thursday, 31st March and state schools don’t break up for Easter until the following week so I’m looking to blow some of the redundancy payoff and go on holiday straight away. A holiday will give me something to look forward to otherwise I know I’ll be moping around the house feeling sorry for myself come April.

Citizen R driving across Ischia

I quite fancy doing something like a road trip rather than sitting on a beach somewhere and this is where I need some help. Where can Mr. R and I go to get away from it all and where would readers recommend? I’m really stumped for ideas so all advice will be gratefully received. If you could tweet this too and ask your friends and colleagues that would also help. Thank you, lovely readers!

Meanwhile, batten down the hatches for Monday 24th January and hey, let’s be careful out there.

I’ve been ill over the entire Christmas and new year period so the last couple of weeks have been pretty quiet in blogland. I’m usually in the rudest of rude health but the stress I’ve been under is obviously manifesting itself physically. I’ve not felt like eating much over the festive season but have strangely managed to polish off several kilos of Celebrations all by myself.

I was greeted on the last day of 2010 by a letter from the council. In bold capitals it states:

NOTIFICATION OF TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT BY REASON OF REDUNDANCY.

Happy new year to me. I’d almost managed to forget about it in a fug of cough medication and seasonal TV.

Mr R is more relaxed about my impending redundancy than me. Having worked in the private sector all his working life, he’s been made redundant several times. Once he was told to clear his desk and leave immediately so the whole idea of waiting almost a year to be let go is a strange concept to him.

It’s weird isn’t it, going into work every day and doing the best job you can in a cheery manner knowing that your employers are wringing out every last drop of goodwill before slamming the door on your career. Only in the public sector.

I kind of know what I will be doing after March so now is the time to get things moving properly, the end is in sight.

I was being a wimp over something or other last week when Mr R said, ‘You’re going to have to toughen up if you want to be a capitalist.’